US 5,289,181 AGranted

Vehicle alarm system for informing other vehicles of its own presence

AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsHiroshi Watanabe, Junichi Kasai, Kunihiko Kurami, Hiroyuki Kamishima

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Abstract

To activate an alarm generator mounted on each of other vehicles except opposing vehicles running on an opposing lane, the alarm system for an automotive vehicle which informs other vehicles of the presence of its own vehicle comprises a timing detector for detecting a timing when the alarm system is activated or deactivated; two transmitters for transmitting wide- and narrow-area alarm signals, respectively to other vehicles; two receivers for receiving wide- and narrow-area alarm signals transmitted from another vehicle, respectively; an alarm generator; and a controller for activating the alarm generator when only the wide-area alarm signal transmitted from another vehicle is received.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An alarm system for an automotive vehicle, for informing other vehicles of the presence of its own vehicle and for informing a driver of its own vehicle of the presence of other vehicles, comprising in each vehicle:

(a) timing detecting means for detecting a timing when the alarm system is activated and deactivated;
(b) first transmitting means for transmitting a first alarm signal to said other vehicles traveling within a first area ahead of its own vehicle;
(c) second transmitting means for transmitting a second alarm signal to said other vehicles traveling within a second area ahead of its own vehicle;
(d) first receiving means for receiving a first alarm signal transmitted from a first transmitting means in one of said other vehicles;
(e) second receiving means for receiving a second alarm signal transmitted from a second transmitting means in said one of said other vehicles;
(f) alarm generating means for generating an alarm to a driver of its own vehicle;
and
(g) control means connected to said timing detecting means, said first and second transmitting means, said first and second receiving means and said alarm generating means, for activating said alarm generating means of its own vehicle only when said first receiving means receives said first alarm signal transmitted from said one of said other vehicles and deactivating said alarm generating means when both said first and second receiving means of its own vehicle simultaneously receive said first alarm signal and said second alarm signal transmitted from said one of said other vehicles.

5 more elements

An alarm method for an automotive vehicle for informing other vehicles of the presence of its own vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) checking whether its own vehicle approaches an intersection or a curved road;
(b) if approaching the intersection or the curved road, activating two receiving means for receiving wide- and narrow-area alarm signals transmitted from another vehicle;
(c) further activating two transmitting means for transmitting wide- and narrow-area alarm signals to other vehicles;
(d) checking whether the wide-area alarm signal from another vehicle is received;
(e) if the wide-area alarm signal is received from another vehicle, checking whether the narrow-area alarm signal from another vehicle is received;
(f) if the narrow-area alarm signal from another vehicle is not received, activating alarm generating means to generate an alarm for its own driver;
(g) checking whether the wide- and narrow-area alarm signals are transmitted from its own vehicle beyond a predetermined time duration;
and
(h) if transmitted beyond the predetermined time duration, deactivating the two transmitting means.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.